Top 45+ Scrum Master Interview Questions [w/ Pro Tips]

Scrum master interview questions are designed to evaluate the candidate’s knowledge of this popular agile framework for project management. They can help hiring managers and employers determine whether candidates are competent in facilitating team success, removing impediments, and solving problems.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the most common scrum master interview questions that job hunters frequently encounter. We’ll explain the reasoning behind them to help you prepare for the meeting. Without further ado, let’s dive right in!

21 Common Scrum Master Interview Questions

Let’s start with the most common scrum master interview questions designed to test your general knowledge and proficiency in this framework.

#1. What is Scrum?

This scrum master interview question is designed to examine your core knowledge of Scrum. Interviewers ask this to see how well you understand and articulate the basic concepts.

Your answer should show that you understand the importance of teamwork, flexibility, and iterative progress. That way, you’ll highlight your understanding of sprints and Scrum’s essential concepts.

#2. Explain the role of a scrum master.

Interviewers ask this question to see whether you have an in-depth understanding of your role within scrum teams. When answering it, you want to demonstrate more than just technical knowledge and proficiency in terminology.

Here, you should concisely explain that scrum masters are organizers and facilitators who remove obstacles for their teams and help improve productivity. A strong answer should also present soft skills and a servant leadership attitude as must-have abilities for the role.

#3. What are the responsibilities of the scrum team?

This question further probes your knowledge of Scrum by examining your understanding of the scrum team structure and roles. When answering, you should briefly but precisely explain what a product owner, scrum master, and developers do. Highlight their unique responsibilities, but don’t forget to emphasize shared responsibility and the value of teamwork.

#4. What is the difference between a scrum master and a project manager?

While a project manager works on various project-related aspects like timelines, budgets, and resource allocation, the scrum master works directly with the team. You want to emphasize that in your answer and show that you actively collaborate with your coworkers to foster agility instead of managing them traditionally.

#5. What is the difference between Agile and Scrum? 

The intent behind this scrum master interview question is to determine whether you differentiate between Agile—which is an overarching principle—and Scrum.

Firstly, you want to show your understanding of agile as a concept and the importance of breaking projects into manageable tasks while staying flexible and adaptable. Then, you should emphasize Scrum as a framework that leverages these concepts to use timeboxed sprints, roles, and artifacts to help development teams reach their goals.

#6. What are the artifacts of the scrum process?

In Scrum, the artifacts refer to the information used in the development process. Your answer should show your thorough knowledge of three main scrum artifacts, which are:

On top of that, you can mention unofficial artifacts that are still frequently used in Scrum, like burndown charts and the definition of “done.”

#7. What are the tools used in scrum projects?

Recruiters and hiring managers ask this scrum master interview question to examine your knowledge of specialized software necessary to facilitate Scrum. Some of the most popular tools include ClickUp, Trello, Wrike, Scrumwise, Jira, and Asana.

When responding to this question, you shouldn’t just list the tools but briefly explain how you use them to help these Agile teams reach their goals.

#8. What are the key skills of a scrum master?

The question about the key skills evaluates whether you know what it takes to be a competent and effective scrum master. In addition to relevant hard skills and extensive knowledge of Scrum principles, you should also talk about invaluable transferable and interpersonal skills like communication, leadership, conflict resolution, and problem-solving.

#9. What is empirical process control in Scrum?

The purpose of this question is to gauge whether you’re adept at the following three empirical pillars of Scrum:

Empirical process control is at the core of Scrum, and you want to demonstrate that you understand the importance of observation and experimentation when managing scrum teams.

#10. What is a ‘scrum of scrums'?

A scrum of scrums refers to the scaling method of using scrum techniques to connect multiple teams and facilitate collaboration. When answering this scrum master interview question, you want to demonstrate that you’re aware of the scaling issues and you know how to approach them.

For instance, you can highlight that you understand that having more professionals on a project doesn’t necessarily correlate with more productivity. Moreover, you can also talk about how you met representatives from other teams to discuss progress and stay aligned, as well as mention other instances in which you tackled scaling problems.

#11. How do you prioritize tasks in a sprint?

This scrum master interview question directly examines your prioritization skills. When responding, you want to highlight the importance of setting priorities based on the product backlog. This includes working with the team to break complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps to be completed during sprints.

#12. What happens in a sprint retrospective?

Sprint retrospectives are vital parts of the project development process. Hiring managers will ask this scrum master interview question to determine whether you understand the importance of reflecting on past work to improve future performance.

A good way to answer this question is to talk about a specific instance when you used information obtained from a sprint retrospective to develop actionable improvements.

#13. What are some drawbacks to using Scrum?

Hiring managers ask this question to see whether you’re aware of Scrum’s shortcomings. More than that, they are interested in your methods of overcoming these.

Instead of just mentioning notable drawbacks, like scope creep or a high failure rate if everyone isn’t committed, you want to provide potential solutions. For instance, you can talk about some of your past actions and techniques that helped alleviate these issues.

#14. When can a sprint be canceled, and by whom?

The idea behind this question is to check whether you know who has what type of decision-making power in Scrum. A sprint can’t be canceled by a scrum master, as only a product owner can do so when the sprint goal becomes obsolete.

Your answer to this question should emphasize your efforts in setting clear goals and quickly adapting to changing circumstances while clarifying that sprints should rarely be canceled.

#15. How do you measure the success of a sprint?

Measuring success is vital in reaching desired results, so hiring managers ask this question to determine how well you embrace that approach. A good way to answer this question is with a concrete example from your work history.

If, however, you’re an entry-level scrum master, you can focus on explaining the exact metrics and tools used, like velocity and burn-down charts.

#16. What are the scrum values?

These are the guiding principles behind the framework established to ensure effortless teamwork and optimal collaboration. By showing that you truly understand these values, you’ll portray yourself as a dedicated servant leader who works on building trust and continuous improvement within your team.

#17. How many scrum teams have you managed at one time?

Recruiters and hiring managers ask this question to gauge your experience level and notable soft skills like prioritization, organization, and time management. The ability to manage multiple scrum teams simultaneously also helps you scale better, which is particularly desirable for complex and large-scale projects.

If you haven’t managed multiple teams, you can talk about the tactics used to manage one team effectively and explain how you would scale processes. On the other hand, if you have experience with SoS (scrum of scrums) or LeSS (large-scale scrum), specifying that in your answer can help you get ahead of the competition.

#18. How do you foster self-organization within a scrum team?

Self-organization is a fundamental principle of Scrum. The idea is for the team to mature and employees to seek more responsibility as they become more proficient.

When hiring managers ask you this scrum master interview question, you want to show the ability to encourage autonomy, facilitate independent decision-making, and recognize when to stop micromanaging.

#19. What strategies do you use to foster communication within the scrum team?

Effective communication is also paramount in resolving conflicts and removing impediments in Scrum, and it’s key to aligning everyone in the team and ensuring smooth progress.

Some strategies you can mention when answering this include fostering regular communication during daily stand-ups and retrospectives or using tools like Slack and Jira.

#20. What happens in daily stand-up sessions?

Daily stand-up sessions (also known as daily scrums) are critical elements of the Scrum process, so interviewers will ask this question to test your knowledge of it. When describing these 15-minute events, your focus should be on facilitating open discussion, identifying potential blockers and issues, and ensuring alignment across the board.

#21. What steps do you take to onboard a new team member into an existing scrum team?

The goal of this question is to determine how well you can integrate someone new into the team without compromising established dynamics. You can talk about introducing the new member to Scrum concepts, explaining the tools, assigning them a mentor from the team, etc.

15 Technical Questions About Agile and Scrum

Technical questions about Agile and Scrum are designed to examine your in-depth expertise in these methodologies.

#1. What is user story mapping?

User story mapping is a visual planning technique used to examine the entire journey a user should have with the product. Hiring managers ask this question to examine your ability to look at the bigger picture while being able to break down complex projects into smaller and more manageable tasks.

Your answer should show that you understand the importance of a clearly defined roadmap and that you know how to assist a team that follows it with incremental progress.

#2. What is velocity?

Velocity in Scrum is the performance criteria describing the amount of work a team can do during a sprint. One way to express velocity is in story points, which can help measure the uncertainty of tasks and associated risks.

When answering this question, you should explain how velocity affects planning and long-term project forecasting. If you have experience tracking, analyzing, and improving velocity, you can discuss specific tactics that helped you boost your team’s productivity.

#3. What is DoD, and what does it mean?

DoD stands for the “definition of done,” and it’s used to define when a project is considered complete. Setting attainable and clearly defined goals is paramount in Scrum methodology since a lack of clarity can significantly impact productivity and result in unfinished or subpar-quality work.

Your response should emphasize the communicative and collaborative aspect involved in the creation of DoD, as everyone on the team needs to be aligned and working toward the same end goal.

#4. How do you handle technical debt in Scrum?

Technical debt in Scrum appears when a suboptimal solution is used in the past to save time instead of optimally solving the problem. This can lead to significant issues in future development and result in a lot of time and resources spent maintaining or fixing past mistakes.

As a scrum master, you want to explain your method of identifying and tackling technical debt. One of the best ways to answer this scrum master interview question is with a real example of how you successfully managed technical debt without sacrificing ongoing goals.

#5. What are the techniques for estimation in Scrum?

Each of these techniques offers a unique way of estimating how much work can be completed in a sprint. As a scrum master, you should be familiar with them, and you should explain how they can be used and in what circumstances one is better than the other.

#6. What does the acronym INVEST stand for?

The acronym INVEST stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. These concepts should be used as guidelines when reviewing user stories to ensure scrum teams will create products that will resonate with target audiences.

To give a strong answer, you can give an example of when you used the INVEST criteria to help clear any confusion among team members and ensure they stay on track.

#7. What is the distinction between MVP and MMP?

The MVP stands for a minimum viable product, while MMP stands for a minimum marketable product. MVP is the earliest version ready for use and is typically utilized to gather initial feedback. MMP is a more complete version that is ready to be marketed.

Hiring managers ask this scrum master interview question to determine your familiarity with these core concepts and see whether you understand the value of incremental progress.

#8. What is Scrumban?

Scrumban is a hybrid Agile methodology that mixes elements of Scrum and Kanban. The goal is to incorporate Lean concepts or help teams transition from one methodology to the other.

This scrum master interview question probes into your flexibility, as hiring managers want to know how well you can adapt to changes in project scope and requirements. If you’ve applied Scrumban methods previously, you can discuss your experience. Otherwise, you can explain how this merge yields the benefits of both frameworks.

#9. What is a burn-down and burn-up chart?

Burn-down and burn-up charts are simple and effective tools for tracking the progress of your projects. A burn-up chart straightforwardly depicts how much work the team has done compared to the scope of the project, while a burn-down chart shows the amount of work remaining.

Hiring managers often ask candidates to explain these charts and their differences. Scrum managers use the charts to track progress, identify potential issues, keep the team focused, and more.

#10. Can you explain the concept of timeboxing?

This scrum master interview question is designed to evaluate your time management skills. Timeboxing refers to allocating a specific, maximum amount of time to a task or a meeting, after which the activity stops regardless of whether it was finished.

This method fosters focus and creates predictability, but it has shortcomings. In addition to explaining timeboxing, you can also mention tactics you use to tackle specific issues, such as when the team consistently exceeds timeboxes.

#11. What is release planning in Scrum?

Release planning in Scrum is long-term planning that covers multiple sprints (often three to twelve sprints). The goal is to determine which backlog products are going to be included in the release.

Your answer to this question should highlight your ability to facilitate collaborative planning sessions. Moreover, you can show how you used information from previous sprints to estimate more precise timelines in future planning.

#12. What is the difference between product backlog and sprint backlog?

A product backlog is a comprehensive list of everything that goes into the product, while a sprint backlog is a subset that relates to a specific sprint.

When responding, you can explain how a product backlog helps you get the “big picture,” while a sprint backlog refers to the actionable plan. You can further discuss how you and your team used product backlog items to come up with optimal sprint backlogs.

#13. How do you use the Fibonacci sequence in Scrum?

The Fibonacci sequence is an optional but often helpful tool that helps scrum teams understand project scope. You can mention how teams frequently use the sequence to obtain a broad estimate without getting bogged down with intricate details.

#14. What are the differences between epics, features, and user stories?

Epics, features, and user stories are core Agile concepts. In your answer, you can compare epics to roadmaps, features to tasks that help teams complete roadmaps, and user stories as guidelines to follow.

#15. How do you handle unplanned work in the middle of a sprint?

Unplanned work in the middle of a sprint can disrupt the team’s flow and severely impact its performance. Hiring managers ask this scrum master interview question to find out how you handle these situations.

For example, you can explain a situation where you had to reprioritize work while keeping the team on track. For bonus points, emphasize that you kept communication transparent, always ensuring clarity.

10 Behavioral Questions Regarding Team Conflicts

Behavioral interview questions examine your interpersonal skills and behavior in challenging workplace situations. One of the best ways to answer them is by using the STAR method. Let’s explore the most common behavioral questions regarding team conflicts you can encounter as a scrum master.

#1. How can you stop retrospective fatigue?

Retrospective fatigue reduces the quality of the meetings and negatively impacts further productivity. As a result, hiring managers ask this scrum master interview question to find out what tactics and strategies you employ to keep things fresh and engage your team members more during retrospective meetings.

#2. What’s the best way to handle team conflicts as a scrum master?

Conflicts often arise due to miscommunication or differences in opinions or priorities, and as a scrum master, it’s your priority to handle conflicts within your team. When answering this question, you can use an example from your previous jobs to demonstrate your ability to facilitate open communication and foster a collaborative environment.

#3. How do you handle situations where your team is not collaborating effectively?

Insufficient collaboration leads to poor quality of work. When responding to this question, you can mention how you regularly check for bottlenecks in collaboration, create a culture of accountability, pair team members on different tasks, conduct team-building activities, and more.

#4. When should a scrum master not act as a facilitator?

Interviewers ask this question to see whether you know when to step down. Sometimes, a team is mature, self-organized, and self-sufficient enough to not need further guidance. In these instances, it’s often wise to monitor the team and only jump in with small adjustments.

#5. How do you follow up on action items?

Action items are identified during retrospective meetings based on previous performance, and they help teams improve. To show your ability to follow up on them, you can talk about specific tools and software (e.g., Jira or Trello) that keep these action items clearly visible and then emphasize that you regularly track progress.

#6. What is scope creep, and how do you handle it?

Scope creep refers to increased tasks and project features without accounting for additional resources needed. Handling scope creep is a balancing act, and interviewers want to see how you approach it.

For instance, you can explain how you continuously communicate with the product owner and your team to ensure optimal prioritization of backlog items and maximize the team’s focus.

#7. How can you coordinate between multiple teams?

If you’re applying to a vast organization, you might be required to coordinate between multiple teams on large-scale projects. To demonstrate that in answer to this scrum master interview question, you can talk about specific frameworks, like a scrum of scrums, or strategies, like setting up regular cross-team meetings.

#8. How would you deal with a product owner who frequently changes the requirements in the middle of the sprint?

Frequent requirement changes in the middle of the sprint disrupt the scrum team’s flow and reduce its performance. One way to tackle this issue is to embrace flexibility, facilitate continuous communication between your team and product owner for alignment, and, when the change is unavoidable, consult your team before implementing it.

#9. What would you do if your team consistently failed to meet its sprint goals?

This scrum master interview question examines your analytical and problem-solving skills. You can talk about reviewing past sprints, analyzing velocity, communicating with your team, and finding patterns that helped you resolve issues and set achievable goals for the team.

#10. How do you engage introverts and quiet team members more during scrum events?

Engaging everyone from the team is vital to ensuring a diversity of ideas and opinions. Your response to this question can include specific techniques, like asking for written input or encouraging discussions in smaller groups before sharing ideas with the entire team.

Before we wrap it up, here is a list of professional tips that will help you ace your interview:

Final Thoughts

Scrum master interview questions cover every aspect of the profession, ranging from general inquiries about the role to highly technical questions. Strong, concise, and professional answers can help you impress hiring managers and get ahead of the competition.

Remember to research the company before the interview and practice answering questions to prepare for the meeting. That will significantly boost your confidence, reduce any potential interview anxiety, and help you land the job of your dreams!

Scrum Master Interview Questions FAQs

#1. How do I prepare for a scrum master interview?

To prepare for a scrum master interview, you should research the company you want to join, brush up on your knowledge, and practice answering common scrum master interview questions. Practice is best done through a mock interview, with a friend or mentor helping and giving you feedback.

#2. What is the 15 10 5 rule in Scrum?

The 15 10 5 rule in Scrum refers to a time management technique often used in daily stand-up meetings. It dictates that the meetings should be 15 minutes long, with 10 minutes of planning and 5 minutes of quick sync-ups among the team members.

#3. What are the 3 questions in Scrum?

The three questions in Scrum refer to the established questions used to maintain team alignment during daily stand-ups.

#4. What questions should I ask as a scrum master?

As a scrum master, you should ask questions that can help you improve communication, collaboration, and cohesion in your team. You should ask whether there are obstacles that impede progress, methods to improve sprint planning meetings, ways to increase the value delivered, and more.

#5. How can I demonstrate leadership in a scrum master interview?

To demonstrate leadership in a scrum master interview, you should show how you facilitate team success by fostering collaboration and solving problems. You can emphasize your conflict resolution skills and show your ability to guide and adapt through real examples from your professional career.